Third Commandment: What is the standard?

[Jamdoc]

Exodus 20

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Now I've commonly heard this as using the "O M G" or using the names God or Jesus as a curse word, blaspheming, or just, any profanity. Which normally profanity would not necessarily be a sin, it's not like these words in English have special sin magic power on being uttered. However, because of people's beliefs on profanity, it can be sin in the sense of being a stumbling block.
But anyway, the common interpretation of just being using profanity especially using Gods' name as a form of profanity.. can be relatively easy to not break

HOWEVER
That's not what taking the Lord's name in vain really is, it can be part of it, but not all encompassing.

Some people think it's any time you use the names of God not only as a means of profanity, but ANY time you use the names in a less than reverent way.
Okay much more difficult, but people can watch their mouth still.

HOWEVER
That's not what taking the Lord's name in vain really is, it's STILL not all encompassing.

Proverbs 30

7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

That begins to show a picture of what taking the Lord's name in vain really is.
Like Adultery and Murder are not limited to physical acts but can be in your thoughts and still sin... the 3rd commandment is much much broader than most people think. As the proverb shows, doing another sin, while representing the name of the Lord, that is, people know you worship the one and true God and judge Him by your life, well that not only breaks the commandment not to steal, but it is compounded, as taking the Lord's Name in vain.

Why?
Because it's about bearing His image and claiming His Name. You represent the Most High God, the one and true living God, and other people know it, and when you do ANYTHING or SAY Anything.. it reflects on God to anyone who may witness it. Any time you make God look bad, that's a violation, and to some degree.. it is complicated because there is a subjective level to it. What one person might not find offensive and make God look bad, will make God look bad in another person's eyes. Even if nothing in the bible says you're doing anything wrong. They believe a behavior is wrong and you're doing it and it reflects on your God poorly, and thus you sinned.
We go back to profanity, there's no list of 4 letter words you can't say in the bible, unless you want to say "fool" and "raqa" are the only 2 "curse words" in existence by that standard. However, most people culturally will understand certain words as profanity, and assume that they're bad and they're a sin, perhaps it's what they've been taught. So they see one of us using profanity, even if those words would be a Christian liberty privately or with an audience you know well who also see it as a liberty.. it is a stumbling block to some people who witness you doing it, and know you represent Jesus. So while nothing in the bible says you did a specific thing wrong, you sinned because an observer thought it made God look bad.

Because of the subjective nature of how people see God through you representing Him, this commandment becomes staggeringly difficult to obey. Because it can be something like telling a clean joke, wearing casual clothing, having your hair cut a certain way, having a beard... or for others, being clean shaven, it can happen based on what you choose to eat, what hobbies you enjoy, etc.
I think only Jesus managed to pull off living His life without ever making God look bad. He came in the Father's name so He took the Lord's name, but every act He did, every word He said, made God look good, even if it made the other people hate Him, He always made God the Father look good, made Him more fear inspiring than previously known by upping the ante on judgement, both in the standard by which we are judged, and the severity of punishments (giving actual descriptions of hell), but also more compassionate, benevolent, and forgiving than was previously known.
But the rest of us? Try as we might I don't think it's humanly possible to always make God look good to others
It might be the sin most of us commit the most (and yes, that is ongoing) no matter what we do, it's going to look bad to SOMEONE.

anyway, it's my belief that the standard is of course Jesus, and we all miss that mark.
What are your thoughts, where is your line for this law?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Exodus 20


Now I've commonly heard this as using the "O M G" or using the names God or Jesus as a curse word, blaspheming, or just, any profanity. Which normally profanity would not necessarily be a sin, it's not like these words in English have special sin magic power on being uttered. However, because of people's beliefs on profanity, it can be sin in the sense of being a stumbling block.
But anyway, the common interpretation of just being using profanity especially using Gods' name as a form of profanity.. can be relatively easy to not break

HOWEVER
That's not what taking the Lord's name in vain really is, it can be part of it, but not all encompassing.

Some people think it's any time you use the names of God not only as a means of profanity, but ANY time you use the names in a less than reverent way.
Okay much more difficult, but people can watch their mouth still.

HOWEVER
That's not what taking the Lord's name in vain really is, it's STILL not all encompassing.

Proverbs 30


That begins to show a picture of what taking the Lord's name in vain really is.
Like Adultery and Murder are not limited to physical acts but can be in your thoughts and still sin... the 3rd commandment is much much broader than most people think. As the proverb shows, doing another sin, while representing the name of the Lord, that is, people know you worship the one and true God and judge Him by your life, well that not only breaks the commandment not to steal, but it is compounded, as taking the Lord's Name in vain.

Why?
Because it's about bearing His image and claiming His Name. You represent the Most High God, the one and true living God, and other people know it, and when you do ANYTHING or SAY Anything.. it reflects on God to anyone who may witness it. Any time you make God look bad, that's a violation, and to some degree.. it is complicated because there is a subjective level to it. What one person might not find offensive and make God look bad, will make God look bad in another person's eyes. Even if nothing in the bible says you're doing anything wrong. They believe a behavior is wrong and you're doing it and it reflects on your God poorly, and thus you sinned.
We go back to profanity, there's no list of 4 letter words you can't say in the bible, unless you want to say "fool" and "raqa" are the only 2 "curse words" in existence by that standard. However, most people culturally will understand certain words as profanity, and assume that they're bad and they're a sin, perhaps it's what they've been taught. So they see one of us using profanity, even if those words would be a Christian liberty privately or with an audience you know well who also see it as a liberty.. it is a stumbling block to some people who witness you doing it, and know you represent Jesus. So while nothing in the bible says you did a specific thing wrong, you sinned because an observer thought it made God look bad.

Because of the subjective nature of how people see God through you representing Him, this commandment becomes staggeringly difficult to obey. Because it can be something like telling a clean joke, wearing casual clothing, having your hair cut a certain way, having a beard... or for others, being clean shaven, it can happen based on what you choose to eat, what hobbies you enjoy, etc.
I think only Jesus managed to pull off living His life without ever making God look bad. He came in the Father's name so He took the Lord's name, but every act He did, every word He said, made God look good, even if it made the other people hate Him, He always made God the Father look good, made Him more fear inspiring than previously known by upping the ante on judgement, both in the standard by which we are judged, and the severity of punishments (giving actual descriptions of hell), but also more compassionate, benevolent, and forgiving than was previously known.
But the rest of us? Try as we might I don't think it's humanly possible to always make God look good to others
It might be the sin most of us commit the most (and yes, that is ongoing) no matter what we do, it's going to look bad to SOMEONE.

anyway, it's my belief that the standard is of course Jesus, and we all miss that mark.
What are your thoughts, where is your line for this law?

I believe we can use the very definition of " vain" to help us understand what the intended message is, "producing no result; useless."
So that being said, it is anyone using God for purposes other than what is in His will thus useless in His Kingdom.
Blessings.

 

[Jamdoc]

I believe we can use the very definition of " vain" to help us understand what the intended message is, "producing no result; useless."
So that being said, it is anyone using God for purposes other than what is in His will thus useless in His Kingdom.
Blessings.

So if you witness to someone, give them the gospel, and they reject it and mock God.. you've also taken His name in vain because you've produced a negative result (of course it's much worse for them to be sure, they're condemned by their rejection, your salvation is in Christ so there is no condemnation for you)

 

[Maria Billingsley]

So if you witness to someone, give them the gospel, and they reject it and mock God.. you've also taken His name in vain because you've produced a negative result (of course it's much worse for them to be sure, they're condemned by their rejection, your salvation is in Christ so there is no condemnation for you)

This applies to false Christians.

 

[Jamdoc]

This applies to false Christians.

well only in the sense of condemnation, if the result produced was negative or no result at all you've still done it in vain, it is a sin, but there is no condemnation in Christ.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

well only in the sense of condemnation, if the result produced was negative or no result at all you've still done it in vain, it is a sin, but there is no condemnation in Christ.

Unless He never knew you.